Fabulous Chocolate Cake Recipe

This recipe for chocolate cake is absolutely delicious. I found this recipe on the BBC good food website. Over time I have adjusted a few things here and there and the original recipe page that I printed is covered in notes and scribbles. I guess I could just print out a shiny new recipe but I like my scribbled on page.

The quantities in the recipe differ to mine because I have found that increasing them by 1 1/2 times makes 2 good size sandwiches for a wedding cake tier.

If you just want to bake a cake because you like cake (and who doesn't) then you could use the quantities given online.

The recipe online also includes buttermilk although I do not add it to my recipe.

Ingredients for an 8 round cake

300g dark chocolate - app 50 - 60% cocoa solids
300g butter
1 1/2 tbsp coffee granules
127 g plain flour
127g self raising flour
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
300g muscovado sugar
300g golden caster sugar
38g cocoa powder
5 eggs

Method

Butter and line two 8? sandwich tins. Preheat the oven to fan 140C/conventional 160C/ gas 3. Break the chocolate in pieces into a medium, heavy-based pan.

Tip in the butter, then mix the coffee granules into 187ml cold water and pour into the pan. Warm through over a low heat just until everything is melted - don't overheat. Or melt in the microwave on Medium for about 5 minutes, stirring half way through.

While the chocolate is melting, mix the two flours, bicarbonate of soda, sugars and cocoa in a big bowl, mixing with your hands to get rid of any lumps. Beat the eggs in a bowl and stir in the buttermilk.

Now pour the melted chocolate mixture and the egg mixture into the flour mixture, stirring just until everything is well blended and you have a smooth, quite runny consistency.

Divide the mixture between the tins and bake for 1 hour 25- 1 hour 30 minutes - check your cakes after 1 hour as the mixture has been put into two smaller tins. If you push a skewer in the centre it should come out clean and the top should feel firm (don't worry if it cracks a bit). Leave to cool in the tin (don't worry if it dips slightly), then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

At this point my recipe differs from the original

The chocolate covering that I make is thicker than the recipe given for the ganache. I find that it is easier to work with and more controllable.

If you do want a coating that you drizzle onto the cake use the one in the recipe on the website.

Ingredients for chocolate icing

150g butter
150g dark chocolate 50 - 60% cocoa solids
70g icing sugar
30g cocoa powder

Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water - don't put too much water in the pan. Water is not a good mix with chocolate. Once melted remove from the heat, add the butter and beat in.

Sift the icing sugar and cocoa together and add gradually to the chocolate and butter.

If you find the mixture gets a little thick add a little whole milk

Once this chocolate icing is ready you need to use it pretty quickly before it starts to harden and set. It is very easy to spread onto the cake with a palette knife or spatula.

This cake contains a lot of ingredients made up pretty much equally of sugar and fat all mixed together to make a scrumptious, gooey, rich cake.

Even with the long list of ingredients this cake is pretty easy to make and does not involve the use of a whisk or electric mixer. You do have to get your sparkly, clean (not for long) hands stuck into the sugar mix but I like doing this.